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Enhancing Feedback Via Peer Learning in Large Classrooms Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology Volume 4, Issue 1 [1] Faculty of Education, University Enhancing Feedback Via Peer Learning In of Malaya [email protected] Large Classrooms [2] School of Education & Modern Languages, Universiti Utara Ng Huey Zher[1] , Raja Maznah Raja Hussein[2], Rohaida Mohd Saat[3] Malaysia [email protected] [3] Faculty of Education, University of Malaya [email protected] ABSTRACT Feedback has been lauded as a key pedagogical tool in higher education. Unfortunately, the value of feedback falls short when being carried out in large classrooms. In this study, strategies for sustaining feedback in large classroom based on peer learning are explored. All the characteristics identified within the concept of peer learning were assimilated into a teaching course, in order that the strategies could be properly investigated. Therefore, the outcome of the study is to propose peer learning strategies in sustaining feedback for large classrooms.. Feedback, large classrooms, technology-integrated learning Keywords: environment, higher education, peer learning INTRODUCTION Feedback is often described as “the most important aspect of the assessment process in raising achievement” (Bloxham & Boyd, 2007). Students in higher education have placed feedback as a vital component in shaping and improving their learning experience (Covic & Jones, 2008; Price, Handley, Millar & O’ Donovan, 2011; Williams & Kane, 2009; Yorke, 2003). Unfortunately, the use of feedback as a pedagogical tool in higher education is still a dilemma. Carless (2007) stated that feedback activity can be a challenge in teaching large classes. Many good answers go unrecognized in a large group as teachers are constrained with heavy workloads. Ultimately this will push the teachers to think giving feedback is both impractical and too time-consuming (Carless, 2007). As a result, it becomes incompatible with the demands of schooling. Encapsulating peer learning is recommended as the measure to address this bottleneck. Peer learning provides enriching possibilities for feedback. An effective and productive application of feedback via peer learning in a large class will be seen in activities such as peer commenting, and collaborative authorship whereby students produce feedback comments (Nicol, 2010). In other words, peer learning focuses on students simultaneously learning and contributing to other students’ learning (Boud, Cohen, & Sampson 2001). Boud et al. (2001) also explained this is built upon the students’ mutual experiences which act as a leverage for equal contributions amongst the students’ community. In order to create this condition, the course needs to be designed accordingly. It has also been acknowledged that technology is a vital elevator towards the use of peer learning (Boud et al. 2001). Thus, peer learning, another similar element of the dialogue concept is infused in this study. As indicated, the research focused on the peer learning activity, and in particular on designing suitable peer learning strategies for sustaining feedback for large classrooms. However, the strategies were 1 www.mojet.net Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology Volume 4, Issue 1 implemented once and application for second cycle was not conducted yet – the opportunity was taken to apply results from the first cycle to identify strengths and weaknesses of the applied peer feedback strategies for large classrooms. Hence the research question was: What are the peer learning strategies for sustaining feedback in a large classroom? The outcome of this article is to propose peer learning strategies for sustaining feedback for large classrooms. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Peer Learning Boud (2001) defined peer learning as the use of teaching and learning strategies whereby students learn with and from each other without the immediate intervention of a teacher. Peers provide bountiful information which individuals could then use to create their own self-assessments and follow up with actions to improve their work (Liu & Carless, 2006). Evidently, peer learning promotes significant learning which involves students teaching and learning from each other (Keppell et al., 2006). Peer learning has been identified as one of the contributing factors towards sustaining feedback. This learning method amplifies a sense of self-control over learning among students such as (a) exposing students not only to alternative perspectives on problems but also to alternative tactics and strategies and (b) developing detachment of judgement which is transferred to the assessment of their own work (Nicol & David, 2006). A form of peer learning in the feedback process is peer feedback. Hyland and Hyland (2006) defined peer feedback as a formative developmental process which provides the students the opportunity to discuss and discover diverse interpretations of their written texts. Falchikov (2002) had illustrated that peer feedback plays a significant role in learning because it enables students to perform better self-assessment (Liu & Carless, 2006). Peer feedback should be capitalized as students received more feedback from peers and more quickly in comparison to receiving feedback from lecturers (Liu & Carless, 2006). At the same time, peer feedback should be capitalized on when mass Higher Education is experiencing continuous increase of resource constraints and a decreasing capacity among lecturers in providing sufficient feedback (Liu & Carless, 2006) and diversification of the student population and a decrease in individualized tuition (Nicol, 2010). It is increasingly evident that peer feedback plays a prominent role in sustaining the feedback process. Liu and Carless (2006) proposed engaging students with criteria and embedding peer feedback. In their study, marks were awarded for the quality of peer marking. The implementation of this step would provide the incentive for students to think carefully about the assessment criteria and be “engaged” in the feedback process. Nonetheless, they found that students do attempt to engage with peer feedback because students do recognize the advantages offered by peer feedback for their own learning development (Bloxham & West, 2004). Other strategies also advocate the mentioned social elements. For example, Carless (2002) proposed the concept of a ‘mini-viva’ which was a shorter and simplified version of the viva voce examination undertaken by doctoral candidates. According to Carless, the idea for a mini-viva was prompted by the purpose of providing an opportunity for timely feedback to enhance learning before a mark was awarded. The mini-viva was designed to provide prompt verbal feedback on the assignment, after its completion but before a mark was awarded. Awarding mark was positioned at the end of the process because it may be proven to be counterproductive for formative purposes. Peer feedback was applied during the mini viva sessions; it was seen as the appropriate method for this situation as it had the ability to clear the students’ doubts on certain assignment related issues. Besides that, the peer feedback practice has also been paired with other methods such as the use of exemplars, workshops and group discussions. These three platforms allowed the students an opportunity to engage with the assessment criteria and to discuss with tutors why and how these are applied (e.g., Bromberger & Armstrong, 2011; Harrington et al., 2006; Price & O’Donovan, 2006; Rust, Sambell, McDowell, & Sambell, 2006). The mentioned studies came to a conclusion that peer feedback can be effectively utilized via the suggested methods and environment. 2 www.mojet.net Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology Volume 4, Issue 1 ICT Tools and Peer Learning Previous research findings reveal evidence of elements of social learning theory such as social networking, peer support and peer community, inspire and add value to the learning when technology is applied. Research by Leidner and Jarvenpaa (1995) and Webster and Hackley (cited in Hrastinski, 2009) argue that online learning was best accomplished when learners participate and collaborate. Herrington and Oliver (2000) found that ICT tools support and improve learning by providing endless opportunities for both students and lecturers to communicate, share and engage in collaborative assignments based upon social constructivist learning theory. Woo and Reeves (2007) pointed out that Internet communication tools, such as e-mail, and bulletin boards, allowed learners to exchange information, contribute to discussions, while providing them with opportunities to communicate interactively one to one or in-groups, making possible opportunities for collaboration such as team projects. Woo and Reeves recommended that online interaction be re-conceptualized in terms of meaningful learning based on the social constructivism learning theory. It had also been suggested that significant interactions within a learning community are antecedent to interactive collaboration which is a critical sociocognitive process in online settings necessary to facilitate critical thinking (Akyol, Garrison, & Ozden, 2009; Kehrwald, 2010). Similar views are echoed by Crook (2012) who revealed that these possible interpretations of learning as a social experience are well supported by the communication and networking tools associated with the current generation of digital technologies. Based on reviewed literature, several suggestions on peer learning and peer feedback have been experimented. Some of the suggestions
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